Ira Berlin Opens Lecture Series at Montgomery College, Germantown

Fulbright professor Ira Berlin will be the first scholar featured in Montgomery College’s fall speaker series, Athenaeum Symposia, which begins 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12, at Globe Hall, at the community college's Germantown campus, 20200 Observation Drive.

The free series features three lectures by scholars, artists and activists, Montgomery College spokespeople announced in a press release Friday. The second lecture will be given by Shakespearian performers Lise Bruneau and Marcus Kyd on Oct. 24. The third, scheduled for Nov. 2, features Lilly Ledbetter, the inspiration behind the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

For accommodations, please contact 240-567-7767 or 240-567-6967. 

Oct. 12
Ira Berlin, Slavery in the United States in Global Perspective
Berlin, professor at the University of Maryland, brings extensive knowledge of 18th and 19th century American history, particularly the history of slavery, to the Montgomery College Athenaeum Symposia.

A professor of history, Berlin earned acclaim for his first book, “Slaves Without Masters: The Free Negro in the Antebellum South” in 1977. Berlin was awarded the Bancroft Prize for the best book in American history by Columbia University and the Best First Book Prize by the National Historical Society. Berlin went on to write other studies of African American life, including “The Making of African America: The Four Great Migrations.”

Oct. 24
Lise Bruneau and Marcus Kyd, Scenes from Shakespeare’s Hamlet
Bruneau, trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and Kyd, trained at the Academy for Classical Acting and the Shakespeare Theatre at George Washington University, will perform scenes from “Hamlet,” alternating between presentation and discussion.

Bruneau is an accomplished director and actor, having performed numerous roles and directed various Shakespearean performances throughout the United States and United Kingdom.  He directed “Hamlet” at the Nebraska Summer Shakespeare Festival and has performed a variety of roles including Emilia in Othello under Michael Kahn’s direction at the Shakespeare Theatre. Kyd has also performed a variety of roles, including Cyrano, Lysander, Mortimer, and Hamlet, and recently performed “Bootleg Shakespeare: King John” at the Folger Theatre. 

Nov. 2
Lilly Ledbetter, social justice advocate and political activist will discuss the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was the first bill that President Obama signed into law Jan. 29, 2009. Ledbetter was paid considerably less than her male counterparts when she worked at Goodyear and filed a lawsuit against the company, which eventually reached the Supreme Court. Because the suit was filed outside the limitations period, Ledbetter will never receive the money that was owed her. Ledbetter spoke at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver.